Fashioned for Friendship

By Jennifer Karampatsos

 -Our life journeys can take us down roads of loneliness, yet God has hard-wired us with a longing to be seen, loved, and known. Even at creation He tells us it’s not good for us to be alone. (Genesis 2:18)
No matter your personality type, background in friendships, or ministry mindset - you were created for friendship.
God fashioned us for friendship. His desire is for us to have a relationship with Him and relationship with others. We journey better when we have others walking with us.
All of us were born into families, giving us a base for relationships. Many of us are also married, giving us another circle of companionship in our lives. God speaks about friendship and gives us some powerful examples of how friendships bring blessings and benefits to our lives. 

MARY & ELIZABETH—Matthew 26:6-13
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Mary and Elizabeth faced some out-of-the-ordinary circumstances. Both were called by God to unusual pregnancies. These high and important callings would also bring judgment and criticism from their communities.  Elizabeth and Mary were in tough places, yet God provided strength and encouragement by bringing them together.
When Mary asked the angel, “How will this be?” Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you… and the holy one born will be called the Son of God.”  Then Gabriel went on to let Mary know, “Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
Mary got ready and traveled to join Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. They embraced and encouraged each other. (Luke 2:39-56)
 In the midst of shared confusion, distress, uncertainty, and fear, Elizabeth spoke words of blessing over Mary, showering her with affirmation, joy, and hope. And with thankfulness, Mary praised God with Elizabeth. They were an encouragement and blessing to each other.

​The scriptures tell us Mary went to Elizabeth during her sixth month and Mary stayed with her for three months.  These small but significant details show us how the Lord provided for Mary. In Mary’s uncertainty, God provided her an example of how to do this pregnancy and birthing thing. God knew Mary would be alone when her time came so He provided an example for her. For both Mary and Elizabeth, their time together and friendship was a blessing and benefit to each of them.
In our lives, God provides us with other ministry women who have gone before us and experienced ministry highs and lows. Connecting with others and sharing experiences can bring us wisdom, direction, and encouragement for our own journeys. 

This is the power of friendship.

• When unsure of God’s promises, friends help us believe.
• When scared, friends give us courage to push forward.
• When overwhelmed, friends help us rest.
• When life falls apart, friends give us courage to believe.
• When outcast by others, a friend holds us near.

Friendships fill gaps in our lives, providing us with a wide variety of support, love, and encouragement. 

ELIJAH & ELISHA -1 Kings 19, 2 Kings 2 
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Elijah called down fire from heaven, defeated prophets of Baal, & caused a drought in Israel for three years through prayer. To help Elijah carry out his work, God saw fit to send Elisha, a friend and eventual successor, for Elijah. Theirs was a unique friendship. There was a maturity difference, both in age and experience, yet it worked. They both benefited and were blessed through their relationship. Their holy friendship displayed another important aspect of relationship: Choosing friends purposefully.
God directed Elijah to go find Elisha. This was God appointed. They journeyed together until the end. Elisha was devoted to his friend and mentor. He knew Elijah would make an excellent guide.
As we grow in our callings, mentoring type friendships are important. God provides individuals who take us further in our callings by sharing experiences, wisdom, and knowledge.

How can we do this? —-Connect with others who are wise, holy and passionate about what they do. In bringing himself close to Elijah, Elisha prepared himself for his destiny. He connected with a mentor and friend who would help him become a worthy prophet and servant of God.

NAOMI & RUTH (Ruth 1:16-18)
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​Naomi and Ruth’s relationship is a beautiful picture of staying faithful through heartbreak. They traveled some heartbreaking circumstances together. They both lost their husbands, homes, and provision. Yet they stayed together though their culture & customs said they were no longer obligated to each other.
In Naomi’s place of bitterness and hardships, Ruth stayed faithful. Through endurance and faithfulness, Ruth and Naomi were both blessed. Ruth trusted Naomi’s wisdom and “redemption” plan. Naomi was blessed with renewed life and future generations.
The more we travel with others through thick and thin; moving through stops and starts; taking turns in leading and following —- we can lovingly, consistently, and patiently point each other to Jesus, our Redeemer.
These Biblical examples show us the blessings and benefits of friendship.

​Life is going to come at us but when we have the blessing of friendships, mentors and enduring relationships, we can better handle what life brings us.
In our lives and ministries, we can fill up our schedules and feel overloaded by burdens. We often don’t leave space in our lives for friendships. Yet God fashioned us for friendship and doing life together. When we make relationships a priority, our lives are richer and fuller. When we have others on our journey we are not alone. I encourage you to make room for friendship. Make a concentrated effort to invest in others and allow others to pour into you.